the cycle
by lostinthemusicx11
Summary: Something's change. Some stay the same. Either way, it's hard to break... -Aria with mentions of Ezria-


_**A/N: It's 1:22 in the morning where I live, so there's nothing left to say other than the fact that I'm totally exhausted. But whatever, I was missing you all and just had to write :)**_

_**Disclaimer: Although I'm too tired to even think straight, let alone spell words correctly, I'm not so delusional enough to think I created Pretty Little Liars. That's all Sara Shepard and I love her for it.**_

* * *

-the cycle-

Ezria

* * *

It's four years later and nothing much has changed. Then again, _**everything**_ has. And absolutely no one knows this better than Aria Montgomery.

She's twenty years old now and studying at Hollis. Hanna's up at NYU, Spencer's at Princeton, and Emily, Danby. She's studying English Literature, Hanna's taking Fashion Design, Spencer's chosen Law and Emily is Undecided. They talk almost every night and see each other when they can on weekends. They discuss college and entertainment, relationships and politics. But the one thing they won't bring up? _**Mona, er, A. **_

_**(Or maybe it was the other way around?)**_

_**?**_

She's moved out now, rooming with Ezra in his tiny little apartment 3B. He's teaching at a community college in Philadelphia two days a week far from Byron and Ella and their disapproving rage. She's more in love with him than she's ever been and they're finally engaged and _oh so blissful._ They're happy and safe and nothing is "wrong" because she's not sixteen anymore, she's legally an adult. She and Ezra can be together without any judgment or people staring at them when they choose to hold hands in public. _**They're free.**_

_**Well somewhat.**_

_**...**_

She's still a daughter even though she is a fiancé now and Ella and Byron constantly remind her of this. They don't care that she's twenty years old, they still object to her and Ezra and them being together permanently. Ella's worried that she'll get hurt while Byron continues to seethe at Ezra for betraying his trust. They both glare whenever Ezra shows Aria any public displays of affection and the few times a month Aria does visit home, they kindly (or not so kindly) ask her to take off her engagement ring until she leaves. They try to control her because they can't suddenly stop thinking of her as their _**little girl.**_

_**And she hates that.**_

_**She hateshateshates how they make her chokechokechoke.**_

She's still a victim, even though A is "gone" now and her weekly conversations with Dr. Sullivan let her know that this is okay. The healing process takes time—_lots of time_—and there is absolutely no pressure for her to say anything she doesn't want to when they meet. It may have been four years ago and A (Mona) may be at the Radley, but that doesn't mean she can just let go of it all when she's still scared. Yes, she's twenty and in college, except, deep down, she's really, truly _**a kid at heart.**_

_**And surprisingly, somehow she doesn't mind.**_

_**She wantswantswants things to be simple againagainagain.**_

No matter what, she's always a friend and that's something that won't ever change. She and the other girls have gone through so much together and despite them all being at different colleges, their bond is even stronger and more solid. The last four years leading up to this point have been rough and A has definitely worn them down, but they're not quitters and she's completely sure they never will be. Mona as A might've attempted to kill them on various occasions and ruin their lives though that's just the thing, she _**might've, meaning she didn't.**_

_**Mona didn't succeed.**_

_**She didn't win.**_

No matter what, she's forever a student, _or at least it feels like forever._ The truth is, she'll be done soon, unless she decides to go for her master's degree right away and Aria isn't so sure that she's going to. She kind of just wants to enjoy her engagement with Ezra and plan their wedding and go dress shopping with the girls on the weekends. She wants to focus on finding her first real job and getting settled into working while continuing to take care of her and Ezra's apartment. She has lots of big hopes and dreams for her future, but some of them can gladly wait until later. _She…_

Her tiny Treo buzzes and she blows out a heavy sigh while wondering if it's her parents texting to let her know how idiotic they think her and Ezra are being or if it's Hanna bugging her to be the model for her current clothing line that's in the works or if it's Emily or Spencer reporting how their sports' meets went. _She wonders if…_

_**No that's impossible?**_

_**Or is it?**_

_**I see you liars are all doing the same things you did before I "came clean." Guess some things never change, huh? -A**_


End file.
